Foot accelerator



April 28, 1925. 1,535,259

H. M. SELPH FOOT ACCELERATOR Filed July 22, 1924 Patented Apr. 28, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARLEN M. SELPH, OF GOOSE CREEK, TEXAS.

FOOT ACCELERATOR.

Application filed July 22.

To (171 I.(/l0}77 it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARLux M. SELPI-I, a citizen of the United States,residing at (loose Creek, in the county of Harris and State of Texas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements ina Foot Accelerator,of which the following is a specificas tion.

T his invention relates to improvements in foot accelerators for motorvehicles.

An important object of the invention is to provide a foot acceleratorwhich may be readily installed upon motor vehicles with out materialchange therein.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of anaccelerator of this character which may be employed upon vehicles notusually equipped with devices of this character for controlling thethrottle Valve of the carburetor.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device ofthis character which can be readily installed and is posi tive inoperation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an automobile showing theapplication of my invention thereon,

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan View of an automobile carburetor with myimproved device mounted thereon, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the actuating plate.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown thepreferred em bo-diment of my invention, the numeral 5 generallyindicates an automobile having the usual engine 6 to which is connecteda carburetor 7. The numeral 8 denotes an extension rod, the upper end ofwhich carries a lever, not shown, by means of which the throttle isusually operated. A transverse connecting rod 9 connects the extensionrod 8 with a pivoted extension arm 9 mounted upon the carburetor.

The parts heretofore described comprise the conventional construction ofautomobiles, my invention primarily relating to a device 1924. SerialNo. 727,451.

which may be mounted uponthe carburetor extenslon arm 9 for actuatingthe throttle by movement of the foot.

Referring more particularly to my invention 1 provide a fiat plate 10comprising a taperedbody l1 and a right-angle extension 12 formed on theextremity thereof. The extension 12 is positioned substantially upon aplane with the body 11, being normally in a horizontal position. Theextreme end of the extension 12 is provided with a vertically inclinedbracket 13 formed at an angular inclination with the plate body 11 topermit angular movement of the plate, this bracket having a longitudinalslot let formed in the central portion. The slot is provided for thepurpose of permitting the extremity of the connecting rod 9 to beinserted therethrough and secured by a cotter pin 15, the extremity ofthe connecting rod 9 normally being connected. to the extension arm 9'pivotally mounted on the carburetor. Extend ing from the intermediateportion of the body 11 is a bracing clip 16 the extremity thereof beingU-shaped and adapted to engage the intermediate portion of the extensionarm 9 to securely retain the plate 10 in position on the said arm. Theplate 10 is further secured to the extension arm 9 by means of a bolt 17extending through openings in the plate and extremity of the extensionarm, this bolt being retained in position by a nut.

The rear extremity of the plate 10 is provided with an opening 18adapted to receive one end of an operating rod 19, this rod extendingfrom the front floor board of the vehicle to the actuating plate. Theupper extremity of the actuating rod connects with a foot lever 20mounted on the floor board and adapted to actuate the rod and plate, theoperating rod being necessarily bent near the extremities to clear theengine.

In order to normally retain the plate in the closed position as shown inFigure 2 I provide a coil spring 21 the forward extremity thereofconnecting with a suitable opening 22 formed in the rear extremity ofthe plate 10 while the other end connects with a suitable bolt securedto the vehicle frame or dash board.

It is to be noted that my improved foot accelerator is particularlyintended for application upon vehicles notordinarily equipped with sucha device, vehicles of this character being usually provided with handthrottle levers which operate the throttle valve ot the carburetor bymeans of an ex tension rod ordinarily positioned adjacent the steeringrod and a connecting rod extending therefrom to the carburetor extensionarm. My improved device may be readily installed upon vehicles of thischaracter by disconnecting the connection at the extremity of theextension arm 9 and mounting my improved plate 10 upon this arm, the.extremity of the connecting rod 5') being then inserted through thelongitudinal slot 14 and secured by the cotter pin '15. The operatingrod 19 is then mounted through the floor board and connected to the rearextremity of the plate 10.

In operation the throttle valve of the carburetor may be adjusted byforcing the pedal 20 downwardly necessarily imparting like movement tothe plate 10 and correspondingly rotating the throttle valve. l't'henthe operator releases the foot pedal 20 the coiled spring 21 will returnthe plate 10 to the closed position, the exact position thereof beinglimited by an adjusting screw 23 mounted through a lug termed upon theextension arm 9. It is also to be noted that movement of the plate 10will not a-fi'ect the adjustment of the hand throttle lever as theconnecting rod 1) will retain its position during the operation of theplate. It may be readily seen however that movement of the hand throttlelever will also operate the throttle valve forming a dual controlmechinvention herewith shown and described is to be taken as thepreferred example of the same, and that various changes as to the shape,size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In combination with a carburetor having an extension arm, an acceleratorstructure having angularly disposed end portions and one of the said endportions is provided with an outstanding flange which is slottedlongitudinally and which is disposed in a plane at an acute angle to thelongitudinal dimension of that end portion of the plate upon which it ismounted, means pivotally connectin the last mentioned end portion of theplate with the arm and the other end portion of the plate having a hookshaped extension which engages around the intermediate portion of thearm and which is disposed approximately parallel with the longitudinaldimension of the tirst mentioned end portion of the plate and spacedtherefrom.

ln testimony whereof, I have aliixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

HARLEN M. SELPH.

Witnesses t. A. \VEBB, C. L. (ii-momma.

